


An Unconditional Romance

by Swim2520



Series: 2020 Ace/Nancy Fall Drabblefest [4]
Category: Nancy Drew (TV 2019)
Genre: 2020 Ace/Nancy Fall Drabblefest, F/M, Fluff and Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:41:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26806027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swim2520/pseuds/Swim2520
Summary: Ace and Nancy's daughter wants to know when her parents knew that they loved each other. Hilariousness ensues.
Relationships: Ace/Nancy Drew
Series: 2020 Ace/Nancy Fall Drabblefest [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1944706
Kudos: 29





	An Unconditional Romance

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: When their young daughter asks the moment they fell in love with each other, Ace and Nancy realize it's the same moment.
> 
> Also, thank you so much for the positive feedback from my previous drabbles. It means so much that you all enjoy reading these stories just as much as I enjoy writing them. I'm trying to post a new drabble every day, but sometimes I get busy and forget. When that happens, I'll try to upload two in one day to make up for it. Thank you so much for your love and support! It truly means the world to me.

“Daddy...when did you know that you loved Mommy?”

Ace looked up from where he was washing dishes to his daughter who was sitting at the counter, eagerly coloring a starfish in her ocean-themed coloring book. Coloring inside the lines, of course—just like her mother.

“What do you mean, little detective?” Ace asked, using his favorite of Pauline’s nicknames.

Even at age five, Pauline was the spitting image of her mother. She was endlessly curious, possessed a charm to her that drew everyone into her orbit, and she absolutely _loved_ solving mysteries. The nickname had started as a joke from Ryan (who was more overjoyed to be a grandfather than anyone ever expected) and it quickly stuck.

“When did you know that you wanted to be with Mommy forever?”

Before Ace could answer, he heard the familiar sounds of his wife’s footsteps move closer. “What’s the question?” Nancy asked.

“Hi, Mommy!” Pauline’s face lit up as she saw her mother enter her line of vision. “I was asking Daddy when he knew that he loved you.”

“Is that so?”

Pauline eagerly nodded. “Well, what is it?”

Ace recognized that look. His wife was curious and wanted to know the answer just as much as their daughter.

“Very well. It was the summer after my mother and I graduated high school.”

“Are you seriously telling us the long version?”

“Do you want to hear the story or not?”

“Fine, fine,” Nancy said. “Continue.”

“Thank you. Anyway, before your mother interrupted me, it was the summer after we graduated high school. We were both working at the Claw on the fourth of July-”

“Mommy’s birthday!”

“Yeah, that’s right, sweetie. Anyway, a women named Tiffany Hudson was waiting outside the Claw for Grandpa Ryan when she mysteriously died. Aunt George, Aunt Bess, Uncle Nick, and your mom were considered to be the main suspects for the murder. Your mother, with her infinite curiosity, decided to investigate her death and find the killer.”

“I already know all this,” Pauline interrupted again. 

“Yes you do, but the story requires some lead-up,” Ace replied. “May I continue the story or do you two have more comments from the peanut gallery?”

Nancy grinned. “As long as you get to the actual story, I think we’ll be okay, is that okay, little detective?”

Ace waited until Pauline nodded before continuing the story. “Now, since you know most of the story already, I am going to skip right ahead to the good parts. Fast forwarding to several weeks after Tiffany’s death, your mother and I teamed up to solve a case together. During that case, we ended up stuck in a closet together for awhile, hiding out from some evil people. We spent about an hour in the closet before we were able to escape. As we were escaping, I caught sight of your mother. She looked so beautiful running away from a serial killer. And that moment, I knew that I was in love.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Nancy stiffen before she said, “That’s when you knew you loved me?”

“Yeah well, not every girl looks so beautiful running away from a serial killer, babe.”

“Not every guy looks so handsome running away from a serial killer,” Nancy replied. 

Ace grinned. “You knew you loved me at the same time that I did?”

“Apparently.”

“So, I have to solve mysteries to find the guy of my dreams?” Pauline asked, curiously. 

The parents exchanged panicked looks. That had _not_ been the moral of the story. 

“No, honey. You can find the love of your life anywhere. Your father and I had a bit of an unconventional romance.”

“Had? Sweetheart, nothing has changed. We’re still running away from serial killers every other week while coming home every night to feed this little detective.”

Nancy leveled him with a look. Ace quickly hurried to change the subject unless he wanted to spend the night on the couch. “But your mother is right, sweetie. Do _not_ go hunting for serial killers. Leave that to the professionals.”

Boy, were he and Nancy _massive_ hypocrites. 


End file.
